A golfer will hit their clubs at different distances based on their playing ability and their swing speed.
Having a general idea of how far your golf shots should go is important. If you have been hitting your seven iron 120 yards and feel like that is just not enough.
Take a look at the chart to get some ideas on the average golf club distances.
Average Golf Club Distances
The following golf club distance chart will give you some information about the average distances that golfers will hit the ball.
These numbers will change based on age, swing speed, environment and more.
However, it is good to have a baseline understanding of average distances that golfers hit the ball.
| Club | Men’s Average | Men’s Above Average | Women’s Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | 230 yards | 260 yards | 200 yards |
| 3-Wood | 210 yards | 225 yards | 175 yards |
| 5-Wood | 195 yards | 210 yards | 165 yards |
| 3-Iron | 180 yards | 200 yards | 160 yards |
| 4-Iron | 170 yards | 190 yards | 150 yards |
| 5-Iron | 160 yards | 180 yards | 140 yards |
| 6-Iron | 150 yards | 170 yards | 130 yards |
| 7-Iron | 140 yards | 160 yards | 120 yards |
| 8-Iron | 130 yards | 150 yards | 110 yards |
| 9-Iron | 120 yards | 140 yards | 100 yards |
| Pitching Wedge | 110 yards | 130 yards | 90 yards |
| Approach Wedge | 100 yards | 120 yards | 80 yards |
| Sand Wedge | 90 yards | 110 yards | 70 yards |
| Lob Wedge | 70 yards | 100 yards | 60 yards |
As you can see from the golf club distance chart the difference between each of the clubs in your bag should be about ten to twelve yards.
If you find that you have large 25 to 30 yard gaps in the yardages you may need to check the lofts on your golf clubs. There could be a loft gap that needs to be adjusted.
How To Figure Out Your Distance?
Knowing the distances that you hit your golf shot is a big part of the battle. So many players want to get an accurate distance to a pin, yet they have no idea how far they hit each of their golf clubs.
One of the best ways to figure out how far you hit your golf clubs is to use your rangefinder at the driving range. When you go to the range, instead of hitting golf balls all over the place, pick a specific target, find out how far that target is, and then decide which clubs you can comfortably hit to the target.
Another great way to figure out your distance is to get a shot tracking app or GPS device that will keep track of your average distances and develop a guide for you.
When a golfer says that they hit their 7 iron about 150 yards. That means that it can be anywhere from 148-153. It won’t be exactly 150 each time. When you get that 150 number figured out, you can base the majority of your other golf clubs off of that number.
An 8 iron should travel about ten yards less than a 7 iron. A 6 iron should travel about ten yards more than the 7. Once you have one club down, you can figure out the majority of your golf clubs.
Distance Factors
Distance is affected by more than one thing in the world of golf. Golfers who are looking to get more distance should understand the following components.
Loft
The loft of the club will have a tremendous impact on the distance that a player can hit the ball.
The higher the loft, the shorter the distance. This is why you can hit your driver much further than you can hit a 9 iron.
Swing Speed
How fast you swing the club is another determining factor when it comes to distance. The faster you swing the club; the further the ball will travel.
Golfers can do exercises and drills to help increase their swing speed. Playing with lighter golf clubs will also sometimes help you swing faster.
Length of Club
Typically speaking, the longer the golf club, the further the ball will travel.
This is why your driver distance is going to be much further than your iron distances. It is also one of the reasons that a driver is so much harder to hit than an iron.
Golfers have more control over a ball when they are playing with a shorter golf club.
Quality of Contact
This is the distance factor that everybody always forgets. The closer you hit the ball to the center of the clubface, the further that it will go. Golfers who have a hard time making contact with the center of the clubface are going to lose a lot of distance.
Golf clubs have gotten more forgiving, but they still have better performance when they are hit in the center of the face.
Lower handicap players who use clubs that are not quite as forgiving will know instantly when they miss the clubface center. The ball will not travel as high, it may have some sidespin, and they know they will have lost distance as well.
Hitting the ball in the center takes lots of practice, time spent on the range, and a swing with really great fundamentals. If you can start making better contact, your average distance is going to increase tremendously.
Golf Clubs Distances Guide
When you are in the market for a new golf club, you have to consider the distance in your bag that needs improvement.
If you are looking for a 200 yard club from the fairway, it’s important to know what that club could be. For some people, it could be a 3 wood, and for others, it could be a 5 wood. When choosing a best 3 woods, it is imperative to choose something that has high ball speed, a premium graphite shaft, and low spin.
Here are some helpful tips about golf club distances to make putting together the perfect set of clubs just a bit easier.
Driver
A driver is going to be your longest club as far as distance is concerned. Your driver’s length is long, and the loft is low compared to your other golf clubs. Golfers tend to struggle to learn to hit a driver straight because of the lower loft and extended length.
Drivers typically have lofts ranging from 9-12 degrees. Golfers with faster swing speeds typically perform better with the lower lofted driver. Those with slower swing speeds enjoy the forgiveness of the higher loft.
Most golfers will strive to hit their driver more than 200 yards. Since golf courses are set up with Par 4’s ranging anywhere from 340 to 440 yards, this 200 yard drive gives you an excellent start to the hole.
Anyone that is capable of hitting the ball more than 200 yards has a distinct advantage on the course.
Check out this complete guide on the Best Player’s Distance Irons by Skilled Golf
Fairway Woods
Depending on the loft of your fairway woods you may hit the ball just as far as you do with the driver. A 3 wood sometimes is only a few degrees difference in loft than the driver.
An average 3 wood is about 15 degrees. If you want a 3 wood that goes a bit further, look for something that is 13 or 14 degrees. If you want one that is more forgiving than 16 degrees of loft will be a better choice.
When it comes to a 5 wood or a 7 wood, make sure that your lofts are a few degrees away from your other fairway woods. It does not make sense to carry a 16 degree 3 wood and an 18 degree 5 wood. The distance gap will not be significant enough.
Hybrids
Distances can be a little tricky when it comes to a hybrid. For the most part, hybrids are built to replace a 2 iron, 3 iron, 4 iron, or 5 iron.
Hybrids are generally easier to hit than an iron, so they travel quite a bit further. Most people will notice that they hit their 5 hybrids the same distance that they would typically hit a 4 iron.
This is to be expected, but it should be considered when you are putting a set together. Sometimes you may carry a five iron and a five hybrid and that is acceptable.
Irons
Most golfers will play with a set of irons that ranges from a 4 iron to a pitching wedge or gap wedge. With the popularity of hybrids, golfers have found that they can’t hit their 4 iron as long as they can hit a hybrid, so many will now carry the 5 iron as the longest iron in the bag.
The irons are the clubs that are most important when it comes to distances. If you are using an 8 iron from the middle of the fairway, you are going to be attacking a pin. I
f your distances are not precisely accurate then you don’t have much of a chance of getting it close. When you first learn your golf club distances focus on your shorter irons and learn those yardages first.
Check out our guide with best irons for distance.
Wedges
Wedges can be both blade and cavity back in style. Sometimes golfers find that the blade wedges do not go as far as the cavity back, but they have better feel and accuracy as well.
If a wedge is not hit exactly on the center of the club face, or if it is hit out of a difficult lie, there will be large discrepancies in distances.
Many players will use their lob wedge and sand wedge for shorter shots around the green but leave the longer distance shots for the other wedges in the bag.
Putters
Putters are the only club that are not going to have distance calculations to worry about. All putters are equipped to handle a long putt across a green.
Conclusion
Knowing your golf club distances is a great way to start shooting lower scores.
When you have a good handle on how far you can hit a ball, you will start to set yourself up for shorter putts and easier scoring.
